Automotive Forums  Where Car Enthusiasts Go to Discuss Cars Online

Hi. I have a 2.2L 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier with about 85740 miles on it. I use it for distribution in my city. The car works fine at first, but as I'm required to make stops, the battery weakens. The first two times I've let the car just sit for 10 minutes, and then it started fine, but the third time it wouldn't start at all. As soon as I tried to jump start it, it works perfectly.

Is this caused because of the battery? It has an Adelco battery, and by the looks of it, it probably came with the car.

Or is this caused because of a faulty alternator or something else in the engine? Is there any way to test the alternator to see if it's working properly?

My dad tested the battery after it sat one night, and the voltage meter said the battery was fine. But the problem is that it starts running bad after about 1 hour of using the car.

Also, does stopping/starting the car often have an impact on the battery?

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.  

a good amount of auto parts stores will test your charging system for free, Autozone is the first one that comes to mind, be sure your contacts are CLEAN - both at the battery and the other ends, remove-clean and reattach.